Sud Aviation SE 3130 ALOUETTE II accident near Mokelumne Hills, California, January 4, 2020
On January 4, 2020 at about 8:09 pm local time, a 1958 Sud Aviation SE 3130 ALOUETTE II (helicopter), registered N92785, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Mokelumne Hills, California (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain during a hover-taxi, which resulted in the helicopter's skid contacting grass and a subsequent dynamic roll-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2020 · about 8:09 pm local time
- Place
- Mokelumne Hills, California · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sud Aviation SE 3130 ALOUETTE II No Series, built 1958
- Registration
- N92785 · no longer on the register · serial 1236
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after about 20 minutes of flight in the helicopter, he returned to a private runway. The pilot descended the helicopter and began a hover-taxi from one end of the runway to the other. During the hover, the right skid contacted grass adjacent to the runway. The helicopter rolled over on its right ride, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
- Dynamic rollover during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,291 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Mokelumne Hills CA
- Destination: PVT Mokelumne Hills CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KSCK, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 26, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Picture of Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N92785 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.